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Jacking the Bus for New Tires
I am planning to go tomorrow (Wednesday) to have new tires put on the tag rims and then rotate them to the front. I found a Michelin Advantage dealer that had some XZA2’s in stock with date codes that are not too bad. They do mostly big trucks and when I asked them about a bus they said, “Of course we do buses all the time.”
I want to be prepared just in case. My tag will lower the bus at some point after I shut the engine off. Sometimes it will hold for 4-5 hours but I would not want to count on it. I know I can hook air up to the fitting in the engine compartment and keep that from happening. My question is, What is the best way for them to lift the bus? I know they will “know” the best way but I want to be equipped just in case.
I will have boards with me and I can pull the drive axle on those boards and get the tag tire off the ground if all else fails. I looked in my manual and made a copy of the jacking points. I will take that with me as well. Is there anything I need to make sure they do or make sure they do not do?
Here are pictures from the maintenance manual in case there is somebody that does not have one.
Thanks,
Davy
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8 Replies
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I don’t think the tag tires will come off with out the body lifted , what I mean is you can air up the bus as high as it will go so as not to hit the fenders if they jack by the axle the tire will be hard to get off with out hitting fender unless its aired all the way up, Bottom line make sure they do not hit the fenders when taking off tires there is a lot of people out there that don’t care about top notch service watch them like a hawk
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Pump the rear suspension up as high as it will go, then just jack the tag up enough to clear the ground and you won’t have any problem.
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XL fenders are rubber and you can abuse them pulling tires and there is no harm. Unless your converter replaced them with fiberglass.
The XLII fenders are fiberglass and they are a PITA to work with when pulling tires and wheels. Another inch of clearance probably wouldn’t have even been noticed in the design or appearance, but it sure would make it a whole lot easier to change wheels.
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Thanks for all the help and advice.
Everything went well today. I did have a little trouble with the wheel covers on the tag.
Sorry about the fat guy leaning over to look at the wheel in the reflection. I tried to get him to move but he could not get out of the way.They are the original covers and they were only on the tag. It has been a while since they have been off. I thought they had them off at Prevost a few weeks ago but evidently not. I also thought the outside ring came off after loosening the screws around the edge but it would not budge. After a call to Prevost and Mr. Rowe at East Tennessee Luxury Coach we knew they should come off so I felt better about “encouraging” them to come off.
I had these on wheel covers on the front.
And I bought another set of these to match a few weeks ago. So now the tag and front are the same. I will probably advertise the Vantare wheel covers for sale.
They had a very knowledgeable guy and after I pointed out the acceptable jacking points he understood it all. They were in no hurry and neither was I and it seems they did a good job. They were careful with the wheels and with the bus so I was pleased.
I love the Michelin tire program. The tires were $638.52 each for a savings of over $600 for the day. That is awesome. Thanks a bunch for bringing this to us, guys. The labor for dismounting and mounting two tires, rotating the front tires to the back, putting in balancing beads in all four tires, valve stems and disposal was $190. Not too bad.
I started the Tire Advice thread because of a bad wide crack in the sidewall on the outside of one of the tags.
When they took them off I discovered the opposite tire was cracked much, much worse on the inside of the tire. They were not as wide but they were 6-8 inches long and running right along the rim. I failed to get a picture. I am so thankful I did not lose one or both of one of those tires!
Davy
The shop was the Middletown Ohio branch of Best One Tire & Service of Mid America.
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You guys are un-doing the fenders on the XL2 and pulling them up when doing all tire work regardless of how high you air the bus up correct?
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Not always. Sometimes I just leave the fenders down if I am just pulling a wheel. If I plan on working in that area then I definitely fold up the fenders.
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Thanks Jon, for clarification are the foloowing photos correct jack points for lifting the coach? I will use air over hydraulic body jacks and heavy duty stands in addition to the jacks when underneath.
For lifting the rear, place jack under the main structure the cradle bolts to (not the square tube crossbar)
close up shot:
And this is forward of the drive axle:
Using the beam inside this arm that bolts to the chassis:
Finally in the front, just to the outside of the tow hooks on the structure….
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I think I understand where the photos are depicting, but I don’t want to risk saying yes or no without being absolutely certain.
If you are not getting beneath the coach, but are merely changing tires, you do not have to support the chassis. I raise the coach fully on the air bags. Then I place the jacks beneath the axle. I believe your first photos show the cradle the drive axle is attached to. I don’t use that, instead placing the jack beneath the pad where the differential housing is attached to the cradle. I lift the tag at the tag axle end. The photo of the front is at the chassis structure, and I jack under the lower A frame at the support point.
Unlike a car we don’t jack under the chassis and keep jacking until a wheel comes off the ground, although that would probably work, we jack under each axle end.
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